Illuminated antenna for automobiles



Sept. 12, 1950 J. T. MORROW ILLUMINATED ANTENNA FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 1, 1947 Patented Sept. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINA'IED ANTENNA FOR AUTOMOBILES Joseph T. Morrow, Mobile, Ala.

Application July 1, 1947, Serial No. 758,323

3 Claims.

This invention relates to radio antennae, and more particularly to an illuminated radio an tenna for an automobile.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide means for illuminating a conventional radio antenna of an automobile, whether it be of the center-mounting type extending upwardly from the roof of the automobile, or whether it be of the vertical whip-mounting at the side of the vehicle.

Since an antenna usually extends above the roof of the automobile, it can be seen, if illuminated, an appreciable time before the car can be seen when it is coming over a hill. This feature will provide additional safety. If of the center-' type installation, the illuminated antenna will provide another advantage. For example, if one headlight burns out, the illuminated antenna will serve to inform oncoming traffic whether the extinguished headlight is on the right side or left side of the car. Many serious accidents have occurred at night involving auto-mobiles having only one headlight in operation, because oncoming drivers could not guess on which side of the road the one-eyed vehicle was traveling.

The new and improved radio antenna, of course, is adapted to be mounted vertically, or substantially vertically, so that it projects above the roof of the car. provided with a small electric light bulb, which is energized from the automobile storage battery, and the electrical connections are such that the primary function of the antenna as an aid to radio reception is, not interfered with.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a pie ferred embodiment of the invention, but it is un derstood that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the new and improved antenna.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the same structure, some of the members for attaching the antenna to the automobile being omitted for the sake of clarity.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the means for providing the electrical connections to the illumi nating bulb at the top of the antenna.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of some wedge members for insuring secure attachment of the antenna to the automobile.

The antenna proper comprises a top section Hi, a center section II, and a bottom section i2. These S o s and I2 are secured to each other and are not telescopic, as will be described more particularly hereinafter.

The top of the antenna is" The top section ill comprises a cap !4 at the upper extremity thereof, the cap l4 being either integral with the top section it! or threaded or welded thereto. A shade base l5, made of metal or plastic, is positioned from the bottom of the top section Hi against the cap it, and is locked in position thereagainst by means of a wing nut l6 that acts on the bottom of the base IS. The shade base l5 contains abayonet socket l8, into which a light bulb 19 may be positioned in the usual manner. A glass or transparent plastic shade 2! encloses the bulb l9, and is looked to the shade base l5 by means of one or more set screws 22.

In the construction of the antenna, the cap M, the base 15, and the wing nut 16 are first mounted on the top section In. Thereafter a bushing 24 is secured to the bottom end of the section H] by threads or welding, and the top of the center section II is permanently secured to the bushing 24. This may be done by threading the center section II to the bushing '24, or by welding the two members together. To assure permanency, the upper extremity of the center section I I may be turned down or upset against the bushing 24 to form a solid water-tight seal. A similar bushing 26 fastens the lower end of the center section I l to the upper end of the bottom section H.

The top section It, the center section II, and the bottom section I! of the antenna are all hollow. The two wires 28 and 29 for the electric light bulb is pass through the sections 10, l I, and I2, and go to th automobile storage battery in a manner to be described more particularly hereinafter.

In the lower portion of the bottom section I! of the antenna is a bolt 30, the threaded lower portion 32 of which projects below the bottom section [2 for a considerable distance. The. bolt 30 is joined to the bottom section 12 so as to be fixed thereto. The upper portion of th bolt 30 has an angular passageway 33 for the wires 28 and 29, so that these wires may be extendedfrom the antenna horizontally. The wires 28 and 29, of course, are insulated from each other and from the antenna itself.

An antenna base 35 is adapted to enclose most of the bolt 30 that projects below the bottom section l2 of the antenna. A pair of wedges 36 and 31 are positioned between the bolt 30 and the antenna base 35 to effect a firm joint between the antenna base 35 and the other portions of the antenna, and also to adjust the positioning of the antenna with respect to the car body 40. After the wedges 36 and'31 are positioned, an insulating washer 42 is placed over the end of the bolt 30 against the ends of the wedges 36 and 31 and the end of the antenna base 35, as shown more clearly in Figure 1 of the drawings, and a nut 43 is threaded on the threaded end 32 of the bolt and tightened to form a unitary antenna structure.

The antenna base 35 is provided with two horizontal threaded apertures, into the upper of which a horizontal metallic outlet tube 45 is inserted, and into the lower of which a radio antenna stud 46 may be inserted. The outlet tube 45 is in alignment with the horizontal portion of the angular passageway 33, and the wires 28 and 29 pass through this outlet tube 45. The car body 46 contains two horizontal openings registering with the outlet tube 45 and the radio stud 46, and slightly larger, so that the outlet tube 45 and the stud 46 do not have any direct contact with the car body 43. An insulating spacer 48 is disposed between the antenna base 35 and the car body so that there is no electrical connection between any part of the antenna and the car body 40.

The outlet tube is tightened against the car body 40 by means of a flanged insulating washer 5|, a steel washer 52, and a steel nut 53, on the inside of the car body 40, preferably on the dash. An outlet cup covers the end of the outlet tube 45 and the washer 5|, th washer 52, and the nut 53. This outlet cup 55 may be attached to the inside of the car body 40 in any conventional manner. If the outlet cup 55 is metallic, one of the wires 28 may be attached to the outlet cup 55 by means of a binding post 56, so that the wire 28 will be grounded to the car body 4!]. The other wire 29 is attached by means of an insulated binding post 59 to a cable Bl going to a switch for the electric light bulb l9. If desired, a condenser 62 may be positioned in the cable 6! to minimize or suppress radio interference.

The stud 46 is secured to the car body 40 by means of an insulating washer 54 and a metal nut 65. The stud 46 may comprise a prong 68 leading to the automobile radio receiving set.

It will be observed, therefore, that there-is no metallic contact between any portions of the antenna and the car body 40. Th metallic outlet tube 45 is spaced from the horizontal aperture in the car body 40, and the electrical system for the electric light bulb I9 is, therefore, completely separated from the antenna as a radio element. The top section I0, the center section l, and the bottom section I2 of the antenna are, of course, in contact with each other, and the radio impulses travel downwardly to the bolt 30 and the antenna base 35. Thence the radio impulses are conducted along the metallic stud 46 to the radio set.

At night, therefore, the switch in the cable 6| may be operated to turn on the electric light bulb l9. The light will shin through the transparent shade 2|, to warn traflic, as hereinbefore mentioned. By virtue of its construction, no moisture can enter any portion of the antenna, so that the electrical system for the electric light bulb I!) will run no risk of shorting.

I claim:

1. An automobile radio antenna comprising a mast having a coaxial bolt depending from its lower end, a lateral shoulder on the mast at the upper end of said bolt, a mounting bracket for mounting said mast on an automobile, said bracket comprisin a body formed with a vertical bore extending therethrough, said bore tapering toward its upper end to a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of said bolt and smaller in diameter than said shoulder, said bolt being downwardly inserted in said bore with said shoulder resting upon the top of said body, a plurality of wedges inserted in said bore around said bolt and depending below the bottom of said body, and a nut threaded on the lower end of said bolt and bearing against the lower ends of said wedges and locking said bolt in said bore.

2. An automobile radio antenna comprising a mast having a coaxial bolt depending from its lower end, a lateral shoulder on the mast at the upper end of said bolt, a mounting bracket for mounting said mast on an automobile, said bracket comprising a body formed with a vertical bore extendin therethrough, said bore tapering toward its upper end to a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of said bolt and smaller in diameter than said shoulder, said bolt being downwardly inserted in said bore with said shoulder resting upon the top of said body, a plurality of wedges inserted in said bore around said bolt and depending below the bottom of said body, and a nut threaded on the lower end of said bolt and bearing against the lower ends of said wedges and locking said bolt in said bore, said bolt being formed with a longitudinal wire accommodating passage opening through its upper end and terminating at its lower end in a lateral branch opening through one side of aid bolt at a point above its lower end, a lateral tube extending through said body and communicating with the outer end of said lateral branch.

3. An automobile radio antenna comprising a mast having a coaxial bolt depending from its lower end, a lateral shoulder on the mast at the upper end of said bolt, a mounting bracket for mounting said mast on an automobile, said bracket comprising a body formed with a vertical bore extending therethrough, said bore tapering toward its upper end to a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of said bolt and smaller in diameter than said shoulder, said bolt being downwardly inserted in said bore with said shoulder resting upon the top of said body,

a plurality of wedges inserted in said bore around said bolt and depending below the bottom of said body, and a nut threaded on the lower end of said bolt and bearing against the lower ends of said wedges and locking said bolt in said bore, said bolt being formed with a longitudinal wire accommodating passage openin through its upper end and terminating at its lower end in a lateral branch opening through one side of said bolt at a point above its lower end, a lateral tube extending through said body and communicating with the outer end of said lateral branch, and a lateral antenna connection stud extending through said body below said lateral tube and reaching into said tapered bore into engagement with a wedge therein.

JOSEPH T. MORROW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,877,792 Bell Sept. 20, 1932 2,123,414 Gilmore July 12, 1938 2,170,600 Voll Aug. 22, 1939 2,179,415 Mace Nov. '7, 1939 2,224,032 Kline Dec. 3, 1940 2,251,889 Ludwig Aug. 5, 1941 2,252,395 Cohen Aug. 12, 1941 2,321,272 Becwar June 8, 1943 

